Drier for metal plates



Nov. 5, 1935. A. HoRMl-:L

DRIER FOR METAL PLATES Filed Apil 12, 1954 3 sheetsneet 1 INVENTOR //aJf/yf/vz A TTORNEY NM. n@

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sw mw T5 'Novn 5, 1935. A, HORMEL 2,019,972

DRIER FOR METAL PLATS Filed April l2, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY ATTORNEY Nov. 5, 1935. A. HORMEL 2,019,972

' DRIER FOR METAL PLATES Filed April 12, 1954 s sheets-sheet s INVENTOR 4 a'arr/Xa/fwfz i ATTORY Patented Nov. 5,v 1935 iJNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE lDRIER FOR METAL PLATES August Hormel, Hoboken, N. J.

Application April 12, 1934, Serial No. '120,178

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus for drying freshly varnished or lacquered sheet metal plates, such as are used for the production of can bodies or other like articles.

Plates of this character are usually driedby being carried through a drying oven by a conveyr. I have found that this drying operation is facilitated and the plates are, to a great extent, prevented from being damaged if they are constantly held in a substantially vertical position during their travel through the drying oven. The primary object therefore, of the invention is to provide a conveying means operating in a drying oven, by -which the' metal plates are carried into the oven in a substantially vertical position and remain in such position until they are dried and delivered at the end of the drying cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for feeding the metal plates, as they are delivered from the varnishing machines in a horizontal position, to the conveyor where they are held vertically.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a conveyor with racks arranged to pick up and carry the varnished or lacquered plates in a vertical position through a drying oven.

More specifically, the invention contemplates a number of co-operating delivery belts which receive the freshly varnished or lacquered plates in a horizontal position from a conveyor, and tilt the plates so received to a substantially vertical position at the entrance to the drying oven, where racks carried by the drying conveyor pick up the plates and carry them through the oven, finally bringing the dried plates to a point of discharge.

In the accompanying drawings, in which an embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a vertical section, partly diagrammatic, of the limproved drying oven and conveying means; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the racks; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction 'of the arrows; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of several of the drying racks, showing their connection to the conveyor chains; and Fig.A

7 is a sectional view on the line IA-1 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The drying chamber or oven, seen in Figs. 1 and 3, consists of an elongated enclosure preferably made of sheet metal and lined with any suitable heat insulating material. It is provided lwith side walls I0 and a top II, the iloor I2 or ally taken off the racks located on the conveyor. 10

The terminal or point at which the dry plates are removed from the racks is indicated at the arrow a in Fig. 2. Located near the entrance to the drying oven or chamber is shown a carrier IB which is connected with the varnishing or coat- 15 ing machine and which may be in the form of one or more endless belts or chains. Said carrier is driven by any suitable means to transfer the coated metal plates P to apoint adjacent to the entrance I4 of the oven. Plates P are carried in a horizontal position on the carrier I6 with their varnished or coated faces disposed upwardly.

Between the end of the carrierr I6 and the entrance opening I4 of the-oven is a plurality of transfer belts I'I which at one end, extend about 25 horizontally arranged rollers I8 and at their other end the same extend over nearly vertical pulleys I9. This disposition of the belts I1 is such that the plate P received on said belts from 'the conveyor I6 will be tilted or caused to assume 30 a nearly vertical or slightly inclined position as it is carriedby the belts Il to a point in the entrance 'ppening I4. The nearly vertical pulleys I9 are mounted on a shaft supported in a frame I9a`which rests upon the oor I2. Said frame 35 moved thereby toward the entrance opening I 4 .10

of the oven. The portion 20a of the frame I9a is provided with a suitable upright 2I resting upon the oor. The frame I9a is also provided with two 'spaced supporting brackets 24 in the ends of whichV are mounted rollers 23. Belts 22 extend 5 over the rollers 23, and also extend about the pulleys I9. The belts 22 form a continuation of a conveying means which acts to transfer the plate from the carrier I6 to a position in the entrance opening of the oven. In other words,

the plate P is held in an inclined and nearly vertical position on the belts I'I and is moved along on said belts, and such movement of the plate is continued by the belts 22 until the plate is resting edgewise in a slightly inclined and nearly veru tical position upon rollers 25, supported on an extension 25a of the frame I9a. f

Located within the drying chamber or oven and movable therethrough is a conveyor which picks up successive plates from their position on the belts 22 and rollers 25 and carries them through the oven. Said conveyor consists primarily of a pair of horizontally disposed' connected conveyor chains 26 and 21. These chains extend around sprockets 28, 29, 30, and 3I respectively, mounted upon vertical shafts 32 and 33, which shafts are located near the opposite ends of the Oven.

The shaft 32 located near the opening I4, carries a worm wheel 34 engaged 'and driven by a worm 35, mounted on a shaft 36, driven from any convenient source of power. The shaft; 32 is supported at its top in a bearing 31 formed on a bracket 38 fastened at its bottom by bolts 39 to a base 40 secured to the floor I2. The bottom of the shaft 32 extends into a thrust bearing 4I also mounted on the base 40. The shaft 33 located at the inner end of the oven is mounted similarly to the shaft 32, except that the bracket 42 in which shaft 33 is mounted, is adjustably supported on the base 40, so that it can be moved along on the same by adjustment screws 43 to take up any unnecessary slack in the conveyor chains 26 and 21. Between the brackets 38 and 42 are several upright standards 44 which are secured to the base 40 by means of bolts 45. Near the upper ends of the standards 44 are supporting shelves 46 which are fastened to the standards 44 by angle irons 48. Brackets 49 extend laterally and downwardly from the upper ends of the standards 44 and are attached to longitudinally extending shelves 41 which extend co-extensively with the shelves 46, but are spaced therefrom, the space between the shelves 46 and 41 forming guide channels for the upper chain 26, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Toward the lower ends of the standards 44 is another pair of shelves 50 which are supported by angle irons 50a and which support the lower chain 21. The upper chain is provided with rollers 51, the shaft of each of which is rotatably mounted in ears 58 formed on or secured to the tops of the conveyor chain 26. These rollers roll along upon the shelves 46. 'I'he lower chain is provided with similar supporting rollers 51 rotatably mounted in the ears 60 and which roll on the lower shelves 50. 'Ihe upper chains are provided with friction rollers 59 which run in the channel between the supporting shelves 46 and 41. The lower chain is also provided with similar friction rollers 58 which operate against the edges of the shelves 50.

Extending between andsecured to the two conveyor chains 26 and 21, is a plurality of spaced vertical bars 55 which have their upper ends attached to ears 56 extending downwardly from the upper chain 26. The lower ends of these bars 55 are secured to the ears 60 on the conveyor chain 21. Welded to each of the bars 55 is a bar 54 which is slightly inclined with respect to the bar 55 as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Each bar 54 is provided with spaced, laterally extending wire loops 52, which co-operate to form a supporting rack 5| for the plates carried by the conveyor. The lower loop 52 is provided with integrally formed hooks 53 forming a rest for the lower edge of the plate while the plate is supported by the rack.

conveyor are heating elements 63 over which are located baille plates 64.

Briefly, the operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The plate P is moved along on the carrier I6 5 to the right of Fig. 1l with its coated surface uppermost. When the plate reaches the end of the carrier I6, it is received by the belts I 1 which tilt it so that its lower end is brought against and supported on the gang of rollers 20. In this n- 10 clincd and nearly vertical position, the plate P is moved along by the belts I 1 to a position where it reaches, and is carried further by the belts 22 to the point where its lower edge rests on the rollers 25. The wire loops 52, co-operating to l5 form a supporting rack, are in each group of three, so spaced that they pass between the belts 22 as clearly shown in Fig. 5, so that one of the racks comes behind the plate resting on belts 22 and rollers 25 and removes it therefrom and 20 carries it away into the oven. It will be seen in Fig. 5 that the hooks 53 formed on the lower loop 52 of the rack, pass between the groups of rollers 25 so that said loops can be brought below the lower edge of the plate then resting upon 25 said rollers. The plate is carried, by movement of the conveyor, Within the drying oven and is supported in the rack in a slightly inclined and substantially vertical position. The plate after having travelled through the oven, reaches the 30 point a at one side of the entrance opening I4, and it is then manually lifted from the rack.

It will be seen that the plates can be readily delivered to the conveyor and carried thereby through the oven for drying. The racks are in 35 fixed, spaced relationship so that there is no possibility of the plates being brought into contact with one another while being carried, and a steady Iiow of heated air may easily pass upward between the vertically disposed surfaces of the plates 40 so that the drying thereof is greatly facilitated.

In the handling of the plates by the conveyor, the coated faces thereof are never bought into Contact with any portions of the racks or delivery belts so thatthe plates emerge from the oven in 45 a fully dried and undamaged condition.

In herein using the term substantially vertical in referring to the position of the plates while being transported by the conveyor through the oven, I wish to be understood as meaning the 50 support of the plate with the plane of the plate at either a truly right angle position with respect to the horizon or at any relatively slight angular position with respect thereto.

What I claim is: 55

1. A machine of the character described comprising, means for transporting a plate in a horizontal position, a carrier comprising a plurality of spirally disposed belts for receiving said plate from the transporting means and moving said 60 plate to a substantially Vertical position, spaced apart supports for supporting an edge of said plate while the plate is in its substantially vertical position, a drying oven provided with an omen end,

a conveyor movable within said oven and having 65 spaced rack elements movable between the spaced-apart supports to pick up a plate at the open end of the oven while said plate is located in its substantially vertical position on its supports, and means on the conveyor for carrying the 70 picked-up plate in a substantially vertical position through the oven and returning said plate to the open end of the oven.

2. A machine of the character described com- Located within the drying chamber' below the prising, movable belts for supporting and carry- 75 2,019,9723 ing a coated metal plate in a horizontal position- With the coated face of the plate uppermost, spirally disposed belts for receiving said plate and turning it to an inclined position, spaced supporting means against which the uncoated face of the inclined plate rests, an oven having an open end, a conveyor movable within the oven and out of the open end thereof, an inclined rack on said conveyor having spaced arms movable between the spaced supporting means for engagement against the uncoated face of the plate while said plate is resting in an inclined position on its supporting means and moving said plate from its support and carrying it through the oven, and means on the lowermost one ofthe spaced arms on the rack constituting a rest for the lower edge o the plate while said plate is carried thereby.

' 3. A machine of the character described comprising, an oven having an entrance opening, means located in said opening for supporting a plate on edge in a slightly inclined position, .a conveyor movable through the oven and out of the opening, said conveyor having chains carrying a plurality of inclined racks, each of which is adapted to pick up a plate supported on edge in the opening and carry said plate supported on edge in each rack through the entire cycle of travel of the conveyor through the oven, each ofsaid racks comprising several spaced loop members arranged one above the other, the lower loop member of each rack being formed with hook shaped elements for engaging the edge of a plate.

4. Amachine of the character described comprising, means for transporting a plate in a horizontal position, a carrier for receiving said plate from the transporting means and tilting it to a substantially vertical position, spaced supporting elements against which the back of said plate rests while in said substantially vertical position,

a drying oven provided with an open end, a conveyor movable in said oven and adapted to pick up the plate at the open end of the oven While said plate is supported in its substantially vertical position, and means on the conveyor for picking up the .vertically disposed plate and carrying it through the oven, said means comprising spaced rack parts movable between the spaced supporting elements to. contact with the back face of the plate resting against. said supporting elements and remove said plate therefrom, said rack elements supporting the plate in a substantially vertical position during the movement ofthe conveyor through the oven.

, elements and carried away therefrom.

5. A machine of the character described comprising, means for transporting a plate in a horizontalposltion, belts for receiving said plate from the transporting means and tilting said plate to a substantially vertical position, a series of spaced belts against which the back of said plater rests while in said substantially vertical position', a drying oven provided with an open end, a. conveyor movable Within said oven and adapted to pick up the plate at the open end of the oven while 10 said plate is supported'in its substantially vertical position, andy means on the conveyor for picking up the vertically disposed plate and carrying it through the oven, said means comprising spaced wire loops movable between the spaced belts to 15 contact with the back face of the plate resting against said belts and remove said plate therefrom, said loops supporting the back and lower edge of the plate and holding said plate in a subing moved by the second carrier., a'drying oven having an entrance opening, a conveyor movable 30 through the oven and. out ofthe opening, said conveyor carrying a plurality of inclined racks,

each of which picks up a plate while said plate is supported on edge in an inclined position in the opening and carries said plate in an inclined position through the oven.

'7. A machine of the character described comprising, an oven having an entrance opening, means located in said opening for supporting a plateon edge in an inclined position, said platesupporting means having several spaced moving elements against which the plates rest, a conveyor movable through the oven and out of the 4 opening, said conveyor having racks forpicking up plates supported on edge at the opening and 45 transporting said plates through the oven, each of said racks having spac-ed supports movable between the spaced moving elements whereby aplatemay be picked up by said supports from said AUGUST HORMEL. 

